Weekly Wrap-Week 15 Marathon Training



 

November 9-15, 2015

 

I am joining the Weekly Wrap hosted by  Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin. The Weekly Wrap is a blog link up where bloggers share their active lifestyle and other exciting things weekly. To find out more, click on the image below. Feel free to join in on the fun.

 

I am currently training for my second marathon at St. Jude Memphis this December. I just completed Week 15 of Hal Higdon's Novice 2 Marathon Training Plan. I will recap my training and other highlights from my week here in the Weekly Wrap.

 

Monday, November 9th

 

Monday was a scheduled rest day for running. Monday was also the first day of Round 2 of the Grow Your Blog Hop hosted by Kristy from Runaway Bridal Planner. I was so excited to read the four spotlight blogs for the day. Everyone's posts were so creative and interesting to read. I worked on my spotlight post Monday evening after school. Monday's posts were going to be hard to follow.

 

Tuesday, November 10th

 

I ran 5 miles this morning. It was cooler out, 53 degrees, and a light drizzle. It's finally feeling like fall.

 

 



 

 

Tuesday was also my spotlight day for the Grow Your Blog Hop. I decided to do a Q & A format where I answered questions from fellow bloggers and friends. If you missed my post your can read it here. I was overwhelmed by the traffic my blog got today. I'm so glad I signed up for the hop.

 

Wednesday, November 11th

 

We had the day off for Veteran's Day. I slept late and didn't begin my run until after 9:00. After my run, I met my grandfather for lunch at his favorite meat and three place. That afternoon I did a thorough house cleaning which took over 3 hours. I just sat down when Michael got home.

 

 

Special thank you to all the brave men and women who serve our country to protect our freedom. Thank you to the Veterans in my family: my mom, my dad, and my grandfather.

 

 

Thursday, November 12th

 

I ran another 5 miles this morning. The temps were back up in the 60's along with the humidity. I was looking forward to the cool down this weekend.

 

 

Friday, November 13th

 

Friday was another rest day for running. When I got home from school, I tried to catch up on visiting others pages from the Blog Hop. I had a lot of traffic on my spotlight day, 41 people commented on my post. I'm really enjoying connecting with other bloggers. I look forward to week two of the hop.

 

I don't watch the news often because it seems that with every day comes more and more negativity. There was no escaping the horror of the terrorist attacks on Paris on television Friday night. Prayers for Paris and prayers for all of us.

 



Saturday, November 14th

 

I got up early to complete my 20 mile long run. It was 40 degrees outside and sunny. Perfect running weather minus the gusts of wind that almost knocked me down a time or two. My mind was wandering a lot during this run, which inspired me to write "20 Thoughts During My 20 Miler" post. This was my first attempt at a jumping picture. I would hope I could jump higher if my legs weren't so tired from just running 20 miles. I am literally jumping for joy because my big long runs are behind me. It's TAPER time! Only 11 more runs left on my training plan before the St.Jude Memphis Marathon! 

 

I soaked in my Epsom salts and ate lunch before settling in to watch the Bama -vs- Mississippi State game. We dominated the Bulldogs! ROLL TIDE! I'm so sorry that our running back, #17 Drake broke his arm. It's so heartbreaking because he's a Senior and he will be out for the remainder of this season. He was out for most of last season with a broken leg. I can't believe there's only two games left this season.

 

Sunday, November 15th

 

I had a very lazy day. I slept late again. I'm embarrassed to say I lounged around in my PJ's all day. I finally finished visiting everyone's blogs who commented on my spotlight post and I worked on some new posts while Michael and I binged out on Netflix. I did straighten the house and do laundry while Michael went grocery shopping.

 

 

Have you ever participated in a Blog Hop? If so, how was your experience?

 

Do you look forward to cutting back mileage after several weeks of training? 





20 Thoughts During My 20 Miler

1. One mile down, 19 to go. On second thought, I better not think of how many more miles to go.

2. Three miles in, this song comes on my playlist "My body tells me no, but I won't quit 'cause I want more." No, I won't quit. No quitter here.

3. Refueling at Mile 5, I tried to Gingersnap flavored Honey Stinger Waffle for the first time. Oh, I love this Gingersnap! I think this is my new favorite flavor! But, I like the Vanilla, and the Caramel, and the Chocolate too! Oh, Honey Stinger waffles! I love every single one of you! You are so delicious! Yum! Yum! Great, time to get back at it!

4. Five miles down, 15 to go. Oh, stop thinking of how many more to go!

5. This wind!!! Where in the world did this wind come from!!! I hate you wind!!! Go away!!!

6. I love my Hoka's! These Hoka's are so ugly, but oh so comfy! I'm glad I made the switch to you ugly Hoka's!

7. What ugly Hoka's will I order next? I like the blue and green ones, but the gray ones would go with more of my fall and winter running apparel.

8. The gray Hoka's it is! I will order them when I'm finished (looks at Garmin) in a few hours. Oh dear Lord, I've still got over two hours to go!

9. (Saw an empty Yoohoo bottle on ground) Oh look a Yoohoo! I haven't had a Yoohoo in ages! I sure would love a Yoohoo right about now!

10. Mile 10, whoa I'm halfway there whoa oh living on a prayer!

11. (After refueling on pretzels and Gatorade at Mile 10) My stomach's hurting! Oh no, why is my stomach hurting. I haven't fueled any differently. Please stop cramping stomach! Don't fail me now stomach. I've got to finish this run. I cannot cut this run short.

12. Good morning neighbor. Hello again. Yes, I'm still running.

13.You think I'm crazy neighbor. Why thank you!

14. Fourteen miles in Don't Stop Believin' comes on my playlist. "Just a small town girl..." Yes, I sang along.

15. Fifteen miles down, five to go. I can do five miles. I've done five miles before school three days this week. How hard can it be?

16. Refueling at 15.5 miles with another Gingersnap Honey Stinger waffle. My stomach is still hurting. Ginger is supposed to settle the stomach. Maybe this Gingersnap Waffle will do the trick. Why'd I sign up for this? This sucks! These long runs suck! This is my last marathon. I'm done. No more. I mean no more.

17. What would it be like to move like Meb? I wish I could move like Meb. Meb would have been done by now. Yeah, Meb probably could have run ___ miles by now. (looks at Garmin, tries to figure the mileage)

18. Eighteen miles down, two miles to go. This isn't so bad after all. I'm almost done! I'm almost done!

19. Suddenly my stomach feels better. I'm so HUNGRY! I hope that left over spaghetti is in the fridge when I'm done. Michael better not eat that spaghetti!

20. (Pictures finish line as I sprint to the driveway) Yes! I'm done! I'm finally done! 11 more runs until St.Jude Memphis Marathon! It's TAPER time!!!

Q & A with Happy Running Sole

I'm participating in the Grow Your Blog Hop hosted by Kristy from Runaway Bridal Planner. If you're visiting for the first time welcome to Happy Running Sole. Happy Running Sole is a blog about my life as a runner, teacher, wife, and daughter. I started blogging five months ago in hopes to connect with like minded people who enjoy running as much as I do. I also hope to inspire others to chase their dreams whether they be in running or other aspects of life. In just five months time, I've received so much support from others in the blogging community. I feel a personal connection with many bloggers even though we've not met in person.

I thought long and hard about my Spotlight post and I finally decided to do a Q & A post. I asked my friends and fellow bloggers to submit questions via my Facebook and Instagram pages. Here are their questions and my responses.

Holly from HoHo Runs asked, "What motivated you to sign up for your first race? Which one was it and what were your thoughts?"

My running obsession began with the Cow Patty Trot 5K in March 2012. My mom asked my dad and I to join her on this 5K for her birthday. I hated running and I had done little to no physical activity in years. My Mom ran in several 5K's leading up to this race, and I didn't dare try to keep up with her. My plan was to walk with my dad. We just wanted to stay ahead of the sag wagon and beat the two women in the cow costumes. Dad and I maintained a 15 minute mile walking. I sprinted the last quarter mile to the finish. I guess you could say I experienced a "runners high" because I felt so accomplished the remainder of that day. I enjoyed the race much more than I imagined I would. I made it my goal that day to work to improve in running and try to run a 5K without stopping to walk. My mom encouraged me to chase that goal and we signed up for another 5K later that afternoon.

I was wearing cotton and the race shirt on race day. Can't you tell it was my first race? You can read my full recap and see more pictures here.

Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin asked, "Which race have you attended that was the furthest from you?"

I haven't traveled to many races although there's several that I would love to run one day. I don't have a goal to cover all 50 states, but I would love to cover the Southern states. So far I've completed races in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Tennessee. The St.Jude Memphis Marathon is the furthest I've traveled. I just did the math and it tops my trip to New Orleans by approximately 17 miles.

Kim from Running on the Fly asked, "What's your favorite race day outfit?"

My favorite race day outfit is my St.Jude Hero singlet. This December will be my third year fundraising and running as a St.Jude Hero in the St.Jude Memphis Marathon weekend. St.Jude Memphis marathon is about so much more than finishing a race, it's about helping families and saving lives. I run as a St.Jude Hero in memory of my brother Raymond who lost his battle to two types of cancer in December 2003. He was just 13 years old when he passed. For me, no other race compares to St.Jude Memphis Marathon. Every runner has a story, their lives affected in some way by childhood cancer.

 

In 2013, Mom and I planned to run our first half for the ten year anniversary of Raymond's passing. Unfortunately, the race was cancelled due to winter storm Cleon. You can read about our trip to Memphis here.

In 2014, Mom and I returned to Memphis. I ran my first full marathon and my mom paced me for the first half. You can read about our race here.

Katherine from I RUN This Life asked, "As runners, we all have bad runs every now and again. How do you motivate yourself to just keep going?"

I think the key to getting through the tough times is to think of something or someone who motivates you to be the best version of you possible. For me, it's my brother. I want to live each day in a way that would make him proud. I think about Raymond a lot when I'm running. I run most of my runs alone and sometimes I feel his presence with me. It could be something as simple as a song on my iPod, a butterfly, or a breeze that reminds me of him.When I'm struggling through a run, I think of the strength he showed in the final year of his life undergoing numerous surgeries, chemo, and radiation treatments. He always had a smile on his face and he never once complained. If he could endure all that surely I can push through a few more miles.

Co-worker and friend Erica asked, "What do you do if you feel yourself getting winded?"

When I first started running I got winded often. I also got the dreaded side stitches. I've learned to better pace myself. I don't get winded often unless it's the final stretch of a race when I'm really pushing myself. If I do get too winded, I back off my pace and take regular walk breaks until I feel comfortable to continue running.

Pascal from Pascal's sport and testingblog asked, "What are your goals for 2016?"

That's a great question and one that I'm still reflecting upon. It has been my goal for the past two years to run 1,200 miles total. Last year, I missed my goal by 60 miles. This year, I'll do good to log 1,000 miles. I was sick with pneumonia this Spring and I took almost a month off. It was hard to get motivated after that. I am going to try again to log 1,200 miles for the year in 2016. Maybe the third attempt will be the charm. I also plan to do at least one race a month. I want to do better about cross training. I've had my bike for almost a year now and I can count on one hand how many times I've ridden it. That needs to change! I ran my first sub 2:00 half marathon last month, a long term goal of mine. I'm proud of my time of 1:59:57, but I would love to improve that time next year. I've got one goal remaining for 2015, improve upon last year's marathon time of 4:53:46. My goal last year was to finish, preferably under 5 hours. This year I'm hoping for a 4:40-4:45. I may run a third marathon in 2016, but there's several half marathons that I would like to run and it's hard to fit all those races in my marathon training schedule.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a question for this Q & A. I hope you've enjoyed reading my responses. I look forward to getting to know each one of you better through this blog hop.

Weekly Wrap-Week 14 Marathon Training

November 2-8, 2015

I am joining the Weekly Wrap hosted by  Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin. The Weekly Wrap is a blog link up where bloggers share their active lifestyle and other exciting things weekly. To find out more, click on the image below. Feel free to join in on the fun.

I am currently training for my second marathon at St. Jude Memphis this December. I just completed Week 14 of Hal Higdon's Novice 2 Marathon Training Plan. I will recap my training and other highlights from my week here in the Weekly Wrap.

Monday, November 2nd

Monday was a scheduled rest day for running. My legs were still tired from my 19 mile long run on Saturday and I enjoyed the extra hour of sleep.

Tuesday, November 3rd

I ran 5 miles at an easy pace this morning. I loved having some daylight at the end of my run.

Wednesday, November 4th

I ran my mid week semi long run of 8 miles at goal marathon pace this morning. This was the last mid week semi long run left on my training plan. Yay!!!

Thursday, November 5th

I ran 5 miles at an easy pace this morning. We didn't have cool temps at all this week, but this morning was particularly humid and muggy.

Friday, November 6th

Friday was another scheduled rest day for running. It was a hectic day at school. We were short handed with a sub for one parapro and another one out on a field trip. I was exhausted after school. We went out to eat later that evening with my in-laws. We didn't get home until after nine. I took and shower and went straight to bed.

Saturday, November 7th

I ran the Capitol 10 Miler in downtown Montgomery. Luckily, the rain held off for the race although it was still humid and warm. I had a decent race on a tough, hilly course. You can read my race recap here.

I got home, showered, and took an afternoon nap. Later that evening, I watched the Bama -vs- LSU game. Bama played the best game of the season in my opinion. We control our own destiny now. Just gotta win out and SEC Championship here we come! ROLL TIDE!

Sunday, November 8th

Lately, Sunday's are my only day to sleep late. I slept until 9:30. It's rainy and nasty here so I didn't really want to get out. I worked on my blog posts a lot today. I'm participating in the Grow Your Blog Hop hosted by Kristy from Runaway Bridal Planner starting tomorrow. I'm going to be busy over the next two weeks, but I'm excited for this opportunity to link up with other bloggers.



Capitol 10 Miler Race Recap

November 7, 2015

I'm in Week 14 of Hal Higdon's Novice 2 Marathon training plan. This weekend's long run was supposed to be 12 miles. I knew I would run this 10 miler faster than my usual training runs, so I didn't try to make up the other two miles.

Centerpoint Fellowship hosted the Capitol 10 Miler in downtown Montgomery, AL. Proceeds from this run benefitted Operation Heal Our Patriots, an organization that gives wounded veterans and their spouses the opportunity for spiritual refreshment, physical renewal, and marriage enrichment.

The race started at 7:30. Mom and I arrived just past 7:00, which gave me time to pick up my packet and go to the bathroom. The forecast showed rain all weekend, but luckily it held off for the race. Unfortunately, Mom had to sit this one out due to a nagging hamstring injury. It's not the same running without her, but she made the right decision allowing time for her injury to heal.

 

I ran into fellow half fanatic and friend Dee at the start line. I met her at the Montgomery Half Marathon and we've become friends following each other on social media.

 



This was my first 10 mile race. My goal was to finish between 1:30-1:35. The course was similar to the Montgomery Half Marathon. The first two miles ran through a residential area. At 2.5 miles, we turned into Oak Park and I stopped to take in Gatorade at the first water stop. We ran a mile through the park before turning out of the park through Forest Avenue towards Carter Hill Road.

Mile 1- 8:59

Mile 2- 8:49

Mile 3- 9:01

Mile 4- 9:02



I was running a consistent pace and I hoped to maintain it. I took in a Honey Stinger Waffle at Mile 4.5. I finished it as I approached the second water stop and grabbed some water. Just past 4.5 miles we ran through Bankhead, a residential area with beautiful old homes. Then, we ran through more historic homes of Old Cloverdale.

Mile 5- 9:15

Mile 6- 9:02

Mile 7- 9:27

 

I was starting to wear down by mile 8. There were more rolling hills on the back route and I took several walk breaks. I clocked miles 8 and 9 over 10 minutes. My overall pace slowed from 9:10 to 9:25.

 

   Mile 8- 10:18

    Mile 9- 10:03

 

We ran past Alabama State University and up several more rolling hills including the Hall Street hill before turning towards the finish at 9.5 miles. I walked up all the hills, but ran the remainder of the race.

 

Mile 10-9:48

 



 

 

Mom was at the finish line cheering for me. She snapped a few pictures. I finished in 1:34:11 just under my goal time of 1:35. I was happy with my time considering the tough course. I finished 8th of 31 in my age group and 196th of 580 finishers.

 Finish Line photo

 The First White House of the Confederacy

 

 The State Capitol building

 



 The State Building

 

Finisher's Medal

Weekly Wrap-Week 13 Marathon Training

October 26-November 1, 2015

I am joining the Weekly Wrap hosted by  Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin. The Weekly Wrap is a blog link up where bloggers share their active lifestyle and other exciting things weekly. To find out more, click on the image below. Feel free to join in on the fun.

 

I am currently training for my second marathon at St. Jude Memphis this December. I just completed Week 13 of Hal Higdon's Novice 2 Marathon Training Plan. I will recap my training and other highlights from my week here in the Weekly Wrap.

 

 

Monday, October 26th

 

Monday was a rest day on my training plan. The students were rambunctious! It was raining in addition to a full moon, Red Ribbon week, and Halloween. I didn't believe my professors when they talked about full moons and changes in barometric pressure affecting students' behavior. I never imagined it would make much difference. I'm in my 7th year of teaching, and now I can tell when it's a full moon without looking outside.

 

 

Tuesday, October 27th

 

I ran 5 miles at an easy pace this morning. It was a tough run mainly because of the 15-25 mph wind gusts. I felt like I would fall right over if I stopped moving. I was thankful that the rain held off.

 

 

Wednesday, October 28th

 

I ran 5 miles at my marathon goal pace. I didn't have a mid-week semi long run on the plan for this week. Woohoo! It never fails, the day I head out the door in my new shoes and no hat, it rains! Tuesday I was prepared and I missed the rain. I got a little wet, but it helped cool me off.





 

 

Thursday, October 29th

 

I ran another 5 miles on Thursday. It was good running weather, no wind, no rain, and temps in the 50's. 

 

 

Friday, October 30th

 

Friday was a rest day for running on my training plan. We had a Halloween snack at school. Michael made pumpkin rice crispy treats for my students. They loved them! I loved them, too.

 

 

Saturday, October 31st

 

I  ran my 19 mile long run faster than I should have on Saturday morning. I ran based on feel, and I only checked my Garmin at every mile. I felt great, and when I feel great it's hard to force myself to slow down. This run was a real confidence booster after last week's struggle. I just hope I can maintain this pace in a month from now at St. Jude. 

 

 

 

Sunday, November 1st



 

I've had a lazy day. It was cloudy and rainy here. I watched the NYC Marathon. Then, I cleaned house while Michael went grocery shopping.

 

That's a wrap!

 

Did you do anything fun for Halloween? Did you watch the NYC Marathon today?



 



 

 

Weekly Wrap-Week 12 Marathon Training

October 19-25, 2015

I am joining the Weekly Wrap hosted by  Holly from HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin. The Weekly Wrap is a blog link up where bloggers share their active lifestyle and other exciting things weekly. To find out more, click on the image below. Feel free to join in on the fun.

 

I am currently training for my second marathon at St. Jude Memphis this December. I just completed Week 12 of Hal Higdon's Novice 2 Marathon Training Plan. I will recap my training and other highlights from my week here in the Weekly Wrap.

 

Monday, October 19th

 

Monday was a day of rest on my training plan. I enjoyed my extra hour of sleep this morning. My legs were still extremely tired and sore from my half marathon on Sunday. I was so excited about my new PR. It was tempting to go to school and tell everyone, but I know most people don't know or even care what an accomplishment running a sub 2:00 half marathon was for me. I thought I'd save the details for my race recap. I had a good day back with the students. I enjoyed the week off, but I was glad to get back into a routine.

 

Tuesday, October 20th

 

I ran 5 miles at an easy pace this morning. It was in the 40's and chilly outside. I broke out my capris and long sleeves. It gave me an excuse to wear my new Varsity Sports shirt that I got this past weekend.

 

 

Wednesday, October 21st

 

I had an 8 mile mid week semi long run on the schedule for this morning, but I didn't wake up in time for it. Instead, I ran another 5 miles at an easy pace.

 

 

Thursday, October 22nd

 

I ran my mid week semi long run of 8 miles at marathon goal pace. I can't believe how fast this training is going. I only have one more mid week long run left on my plan! I'm so glad because it's a struggle getting the miles in before school, and I have no energy left after school.

 

 

Friday, October 23rd





 

Friday was another scheduled rest day for running. I went with my Kindergarteners on a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. It was a lot of fun! I was exhausted afterwards. I came straight home and took a nap before Michael got home.

 

 

Saturday, October 24th

 

I did my 18 mile long run this morning. I think every runner has at least one run during their training cycle that makes them question, "Why did I sign up for this?" Last year, it was my 20 miler. Hopefully, I got that run out of the way early today. It was a struggle, and I'm so glad it's behind me. I think my legs probably haven't fully recovered from going all out in my half marathon on Sunday. Plus, I didn't fuel every 5 miles like I've practiced. I only ate my Honey Stingers on Mile 6 and 12, twice versus three times. My legs were shot by mile 15.

 

 

I soaked in my Epsom salts and relaxed afterwards. It was tough to stay awake during the Bama game. That was a boring game and it had me worried towards the end. Bama pulled out the win although it wasn't pretty at times. Roll Tide!

 

Sunday, October 25th

 

I got my hour cross training in today, which doesn't happen that often. I need to get better about riding my bike because I can feel the difference when I do. I rode for 45 minutes, which was only 8 miles. I lack confidence, so I ride slow. Then, I took Allie for a walk around the block. I still made time for my Sunday afternoon nap before cleaning house and doing the laundry.

 

 

That's a wrap! I hope everyone had a great week!

 

 



 

 



 



 



Gulf Coast Half Marathon Mandeville, LA

October 18, 2015

Saturday in Mandeville

My mom and I hit the road around 6:00 on Saturday morning to head to Mandeville, LA. We arrived at Varsity Sports for packet pick up just after 11:00. Packet pick up had just started, so it wasn't that crowded. We enjoyed looking around the shop. We each got a couple of shirts, some Honey Stingers, and a new pair of shoes. Then, we went out back to get our bibs and t-shirts. The expo was small featuring tents from other races in Louisiana.

 

This was my first trip to Mandeville, LA. It was gorgeous there! I loved all the beautiful homes overlooking Lake Pontchartrain and the tree lined streets with Spanish moss.

 

We walked several blocks taking in the sights when we came upon a church fall festival. There were several tents with arts and crafts, food, games, and more. We saw a booth fundraising for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We made a donation and bracelets for the patients of St. Jude. What a neat fundraising idea! The boy in the picture wears a bracelet for each chemo treatment he's received. That's a lot of treatments!

 

 

After checking out the festival, we grabbed lunch at The Beachhouse. I had a chicken Panini and salad and mom had a taco salad. The atmosphere was nice and we ate outside. Then we headed to our hotel in Covington less than 10 miles from Mandeville and Fontainebleau Park where the race would start in the morning. We checked in just in time to watch the Bama -v- Texas A&M game. When the game was over, we grabbed supper at Don's Seafood near the hotel. We each had pasta dishes to carb load. After supper, we went back to the room, laid out our things for race morning, and got ready for bed. We were in bed by 9:00.

Race Day

Mom and I ran the other two races in the Gulf Coast Half Marathon Series earlier this year. We looked forward to running the last of the series in Mandeville for months. My goal this year was to run a sub-2:00 half marathon. With only two half's left on my calendar, I was beginning to put that goal out of my mind. I had some rough half's this spring. I ran one with a sinus infection, the other while recovering from walking pneumonia, and on my last one it rained and I chaffed and got blisters. My main goal for this race was to do my best and feel good. I wanted to run under a 2:10. Deep down I hoped for a new PR, my current PR (2:06:55) was over a year and a half ago. I was doubtful that I would reach my goal of a sub 2:00.

The race started at 7:00. Mom and I left the hotel around 5:45 to drive the 7 miles to Fontainebleau Park. We arrived at the park just past 6:00, but it took us 15 minutes to park. There's only one way in and out of the park, so parking quickly got congested. We were glad we left early. We had 30 minutes to spare before the start of the race. We used the porta potties, then made our way to the start line. This race is capped at 2,500 participants, so there's no corral start or official pacers. However, there are pace signs at the start and runners position themselves closest to their pace. I positioned myself behind the 10:00 pace sign. I didn't want to get caught up in the excitement closer to the front and go out too fast. They made a few race announcements, played the National Anthem, and then we were off.

It was congested at the start and I did a lot of weaving through the crowd. By half a mile in, the crowd spread out and I got into a rhythm. The first two miles were through the park heading back towards Mandeville. Miles 3-4 went through a residential area with beautiful homes. There were several people cheering us on from the front porches. Mile 5 was my favorite part of the race and the most scenic. We ran a mile stretch with views of Lake Pontchartrain on one side and beautiful homes on the other. I was maintaining a consistent pace up to this point, clocking each mile under 9:10. I knew if I maintained this consistency I could PR, maybe even get my sub 2:00. It was still early in the race, so I tried to put those ideas out of my mind and focus on one mile at a time.

Mile 1- 9:01

Mile 2- 9:00

Mile 3- 9:06

Mile 4- 9:02

Mile 5- 9:01

 

There were water stops at every mile and a half. I stopped at each one alternating water and Gatorade. I ate my Honey Stinger waffle just before Mile 6. We ran back through a residential area and I could see other runners already making their way back on the other side of the road. We went through a neighborhood, circled around, and then went back out at Mile 7. When I turned around I tried to look for my mom on the other side of the road, but I didn't see her. The course continued through the residential area and my mind was occupied looking at all the houses, some were nicely decorated for fall and Halloween. Just past Mile 8, we ran by Varsity Sports where we got our packets on Saturday. My legs were starting to feel heavy and my cadence was slowing down. I was starting to clock miles at and above a 9:10 pace.

 

Mile 6- 9:09

Mile 7- 9:08

Mile 8- 9:12

Mile 9- 9:11

 

At 9.5 miles we made our way onto the paved trails that led us back to Fontainebleau Park. I no longer had the beautiful homes and lake views to occupy my mind. There were only trees, trees everywhere. My pace was really beginning to suffer, but no matter how hard I tried I wasn't going any faster. My average pace was creeping over 9:10 and I knew my chances of a sub 2:00 were slipping away. I kept telling myself to put the sub 2:00 out of my mind. Regardless I was going to get a new PR.

 

Mile 10-9:14

Mile 11-9:30

Mile 12-9:25

 

I hit the 12 Mile Marker just over 1:50. That left less then 10 minutes to run just over a mile and get my sub 2:00! I stopped at the last water stop at 12.5 miles. Then, I ran as fast as my tired legs would let me. As I approached the finish line it read 2:00:13. "I didn't make it," I thought. I knew my chip time would be less than the clock read, but by how much I wondered.

 

 

I was convinced that I missed my sub 2:00 by seconds and disappointment flooded my mind. I wasn't ready to see my results. I went straight to the car and changed into my flip flops. When I got back to the finish area, I had finally gotten the courage to request my results. They printed the ticket and I slowly turned it over. It read 1:59:57! I could hardly contain myself, happy tears filled my eyes. I finally did it! I finally ran a sub 2:00! 





 

As I was making my way to the food tent, I saw Mindy from Road Runner Girl in the crowd. I knew she was running this race and I hoped to meet her. She was very nice! She and her friend Jenny ran a huge PR!

 



                                 

 

I grabbed some fruit and another bottled water. Then, I headed back towards the finish line to look out for my mom. Mom suffered some setbacks before this race with bronchitis and a hamstring injury. She had taken time off over the last few weeks. I worried about her during this race. I hoped she was feeling ok and having a good run. It wasn't long before I saw her rounding the corner with a smile on her face. She ran better than she expected and finished strong.

 

 

We headed to the post race area for some pictures. There was plenty of food: red beans and rice, sandwiches, fruit, and beer. The Bar Hoppers band performed and we enjoyed listening to them. We stuck around for the post race fun for about an hour before heading back to the hotel to shower and hit the road.



 

 

 

I love the race shirts for this series because they are super soft and have cute designs. However, this one screams LSU. As a Bama fan, I don't know how much I will wear it especially during football season. I did wear the shirt home as part of my tradition.

 

I am so glad that Mom and I had a girl's weekend together. We loved Mandeville! Now that we've experienced all three half's in the series, this one is our new favorite. Mom is already talking about returning for next year's race.